Washington is about to see some diplomacy come out of Jerusalem, and it has nothing to do with Secretary of State John Kerry.

National Geographic’s “Jerusalem” is coming to the Museum of Natural History this week: The 45-minute IMAX film captures the ancient city’s geographical, architectural and cultural marvels through the stories of three teenage girls living out different religious journeys in less than one square kilometer.

“Thousands [of] cups of tea is what it took to make this movie happen,” said writer and director Daniel Ferguson, who worked with dozens of political and religious figures to capture the city’s many independent pieces.

Ferguson and his crew spent four years working to bring together exclusive footage that even the city’s residents can’t see. Because of the varying regional and religious jurisdictions, Ferguson said few people have access to Jerusalem’s sacred sites.

He and has crew worked tirelessly with the help of Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer and many others to gain entrance to some of the oldest and most protected locations in the city. Ferguson personally made 14 trips to Jerusalem for the project, including moving his family there for six months during filming. Slowly, he said, gatekeepers who had denied him access for the film began to trust his intentions, and nos became yeses.

The film’s special permission to shoot low-altitude aerials — the first of their kind shot there in 20 years — and exclusive admission to holy sites gives viewers a unique look into 5,000-year-old ruins.

“We arrived with a list of locations we wanted to shoot and were told we’d be lucky to get 50 percent,” Ferguson said. “We got all of them.”

But the movie’s access goes beyond the physical aspects of the city. Ferguson’s IMAX expertise takes viewers into homes, communities, celebrations and everyday lives of the city’s 750,000-plus residents. 3-D footage feels like you’re physically walking down the crowded streets, peering into shops and exploring the four quarters.

Avoiding the weightier topics like peace talks and conflict, the film uses the three teens to explore the Christian, Jewish and Muslim attachments to the ancient city. Over an Easter gathering, a Passover Seder and an Iftar, each young woman introduces her family’s traditions and beliefs about the history of Jerusalem.

“Conflict in the region is a well-trodden subject matter,” Ferguson said. By discussing the religious differences — and often similarities — through the perspective of the girls, he said the movie was able to frame the conflict in a different way.

Ferguson said he chose to use young people because of their open-mindedness and also to help reach other young people with the potential to see past their differences.

“I’ve seen children educate their parents in ways that I never thought possible,” he said. “Children are like the ultimate Trojan horse.”

Ferguson said he could think of two precocious young teens, in particular, he’d like to see the film.

“I would love if Obama’s children could see it. If Michelle and the girls would come, that would be just be amazing to me.”

The 45-minute film, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, opens Friday at the Natural History Museum and runs through summer 2014.